Injecting method and means for molding thermoplastic materials



April 1942- J. s. REID 2,279,344

INJECTING METHOD AND MEANS FOR MOLDING THERMOPLASTIC MATERIALS Filed Feb. 19, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a I m 1 i F i INVEN JAMES S.' D

TTORNEYJ' April 14, 1942. J 2,279,344

INJECTING METHOD AND MEANS FOR MOLDING THERMOPLASTIC MATERIALS Filed Feb. 19, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR J/IMFJ 6. R170 BY iflg. 2

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 1942 PATE NT f oFrlca MEANS roe MOLDING THERMOPLASTIC James a. Radial Ilka mesne ilfllnmen neirhts. Ohio. sa mon-lb! to The Standard Products to, 80111:),- Port Clinton, Qhio a corporation -of Application February 19, 19:1, s i-n1 No. 126,619 I scum. (cl. 18-80) This invention relates to an improvement in methods of injection molding and in injection type molds for molding thermoplastic material and is directed particularly to a novel construction of an injecting device which is more compact and. less costly than prior devices such as shown in applications Serial No. 107,568, filed October 26, 1936, and Serial No. 61,864, filed Feband means for producing the desired color elfects on thermoplastic molded articles.

other objects and advantages willbecome apparent from the following specification wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings disclosing a preferred illustrative embodiment of ruary 1, 1936, the latter being Patent 2,156,396,

issued May2. 1939. v In each of these prior devices, relatively long heating tunnels and passages are provided for initially heating the thermoplastic material and conveying it to an associated injection chamber.

, In using such prior devices, it has been difllcult to produce the desired artistic color striations on the surface of molded articles when varicolored thermoplastic material is employed. By carefully studying the results obtained in commercial practice, it has been found that suchdiillculty is due principally to the relatively long and irregular the invention and in which: Fig. i is a fragmentary vertical and QFlg. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view 7 through a modification of the invention.

' Referring to Fig. 1, the construction embodying-g one form of the present invention. is shown associated with a mold having an upper mold section I path of travel which the thermoplastic material long path of travel, the granules of various colors of thermoplastic material are not given the opportumty to intermingle to' any great extent with 'othergranules of different colors during the passage from the heatingchamber to the mold cavities, with the result that, while retaining the advantage of injection molding, control of the color design is almost as efiective as that obtained inthe compression method of molding.

One of the principal objects of the present invention, therefore, lies in the provision of an 4 The cylinder m is adapted t0 retain a charge of v injection type mold having the loading and injecting chambers in close proximity to each other and connected by a plurality of relatively short straight ducts uniformly distributed peripherally of the injection chamber.

equally important object is to provide in.

in closed relation with an associated lliwer mold section 2. These sections are provided with recesses in their abutting faces forming cavities 3, in theform of the articles to be molded.

Leading toeach of the cavities-3 is a gate 4 into which a sprue passage 5 opens. The walls of the sprue passage 5 preferably converge in the direction away from the gates 4 .so that the material when solidified within the sprue passage can be ejected easily and concurrently with the finished articles. The entrance to the sprue i is provided with a cup-shaped seat 6 against. which a nozzle portion 1 abuts to form a tight joint and thus prevent the escape of thermoplastic material therebetween being transferred from thenozzle to the sprue. This nozzle I is preferably carried by an injecting piston 8 which is reciprocable in an This piston I is reciprocated outwardly and inwardly of the injecting cylinder it to effect the such' a'mold a substantially direct path of relatively few turns or bends between the "load n chamber and mold cavity.

Another important object is to provide a contact and separation, respectlvely', of the nozzle and seat by means of a hydraulic piston l2 and cylinder It. The cylinders II and II are shown coaxially disposed with respect to each other in the carrying block I I and are separated from each other by a wall ll through which an associated piston rod it passes to join to the pistons l and I2.

thermoplastic material in the proper injecting condition, which charge is expelled therefrom through a passage l! in the piston 8 by moving the entire carrying block ll toward the mold sections and relative to the piston 8. The passage I1 is in direct alignment with the sprue passage I and thus conducts the material from the cylinder" directly into the sprue passage i.v I

After the charge has thus been expelled from the injecting cylinder Ill, a new charge of thermosectional view through the injecting cylinderv and loading chambers and through a portion of an associated mold;

injecting cylinder l0 provided'in a carrying block I 35 ll.

plasticmaterial is introduced therein from an annular loading chamber 2| which is shown closely surrounding the cylinder iii and in communication with cylinder II by a plurality of shortpassages 2| preferably located adiacent the wall I4. These passages 2i are rendered active simultaneously to inject the thermoplastic material into the cylinder It at differently spaced regions, whereby the various colors in the material are not mixed and agitated during the transference thereof to the cylinder ill, and thus the surface of the molded article is artistically decorated with sharply contrasted color striations.

The thermoplastic material is preferably introduced into the loading chamber 2| in granular form, through suitable. loading ports 22 provided in the outside walls of the carrying block I l and respective to the passages 2|.

After the charge of thermoplastic material in the loading chamber has become properly heated to the plastic state by passing steam through ducts 23 and 24 which surround the cylinder Ill and chamber 2|, the molten material is forced from the chamber 20 by means of an annular plunger or piston 25 which closely fits the inner and outer walls of the chamber. Thus, upon the inward movement of the piston 2|, the thermoplastic material is transferred to the injecting cylinder i| through the short, direct passages 2i.

Since the loading chamber 2| cylinder III are disposed closely adjacent each other, a more accurate control of the appearance of the thermoplastic coating can be obtained.

Thus the granules of diflerent colors are not given the opportunity to becomemixed in the procinto e cylinders 2| so as to actagainst the upper faces of each of thep'istons 2|, causim the piston 2| to be drawn within the chamber 2|. Thus the movement of the piston 2' W the charge of thermoplastic material within the chamber 2| transfers the material to the injecting cylinder N. This charge of thermoplastic material within the cylinder II is, now in position to be injected into the mold cavities 2.

The injecting operation may be accomplished in any one of several different cycles, the preferred one of which is as follows:

The mom sections l and -2 first close around the inserts to be coated with material, to form the cavities I.- While the sections are thus closed, the piston e is moved outwardly from the carrying block i I by admitting fluid pressure into cylinder is to act' against the lower face of the associated piston i2. The resultant outward movement of piston 2 causes the nozzle I to rest in firm pressure engagement against the seat Usually this movement is very slight since the cylinder l| has been previously filled with a charge of thermoplastic material and the piston, is accordingly in extended position with respect to the carrying block II. To inject this charge into the cavities, the entire carrying block it is forced to move relative to the piston I and toward the mold sections by a suitable pressure and injecting ess of being transferred from the chamber 2| to the cylinder It. This unmixed charge of material containing streaks and patches of different colors is transferred in the unmixed condition into the mold cavities where it producesa very attractive appearing surface of various.

color striations.

This arrangement provides a distinct advantage over prior molds of the injection type. In such prior molds the material 'was not introduced into the injection chamber with each color in a separate location and was necessarily forced to flow through relativelylong pre-heating tunnels and passages with bends and turns before entering the injecting cylinder, wherefore the different colored granules of material inherently became so thoroughly mixed that all of the colors,

' when molded upon the insert, appeared to be blended together instead of remaining in patches or streaks of contrasting colors as desired.

The passages are shown provided with check valves which act to prevent the flow of the material from the cylinder it back into the chamber- Each of the check valves includes a ball 2| anda. seat 21, the ball being forced against the seat when the pressure on the material in the cylinder ll exceeds the pressure in the loading chamber 20. g

The piston 25 is moved longitudinally of the chamber 20 and parallel to the movement of the piston by a plurality of suitable hydraulic pistons 2| and cylinders 29 which are located in alignment with the path of travel of the piston 25. The cylinders 29 and chamber 20 are separated by a wall 30 through which suitable piston rods 32 pass to ccnnectthe pistons 28 to the ring v piston 25.

means, which movement causes the material in the cylinder II to be forced through passage i1, sprue 5, gates 4 and into the cavities 2. :During this injecting operation, the liquid in cylinder 12- is allowed to escape and the piston i2 moves freely relative thereto,

The carrying block Il may be raised and lowered relative to piston by any convenient means familiar to those skilled in the art. One such means is shownin Fig- 1 wherein the block it has affixed thereto a plurality of connecting rods II bearing, at their other extremities, pistons I2 which reciprocate in cylinders II which are attached to a bed plate ll of the machine frame. The pistons may be moved upwardly by fluid pressure from a convenient pressure source through conduits I5, and, after the injecting operation is completed, the pistons may be retracted by fluid pressure through conduits 1|.

A new charge, previously placed in the loading chamber 20, is then transferred to the injecting cylinder ll by moving the piston 25 inwardly of the chamber 2| through the medium of the cylinder and piston mechanisms 2| and 2|. The

' piston is extended relative to the carrying block and concurrently with thetransferring operation by again admitting hydraulic pressure into the cylinder I2. After the charge has thus been transferred and the cylinder ll again filled, the

piston 25 is moved outwardly of the chamber 2| and a fresh charge of thermoplastic material is introduced therein and heated preparatory to a subsequent injecting operation.

The nozzle 1 breaks contact from the seat 0 by moving the carrying block II and piston away from the'mold sections to permit the separation of the sections I and 2 and ejection of the articles.

The mold sections I and 2 being relatively cool causes the material to solidify in the cavities I, gates 4 and the sprue I down to the seat while the material in the passage ll remains heated carrying block ll, fluid pressure is introduced and plastic through the continuous passage of steam through ducts It in the piston Consequently, when'the mold sections I and 2 are opened and election of the finished articles from the cavities 6 place, the entire amount of material injected into-the mold sections I and 2 .is concurrently removed. v V j Referring now to Hg. 2, a modification of the device is disclosed'whichc mprises a carrying block 40 preferably cylindrical in shape 1 tioned above. the mold. section's I and 1 mountedon a suitable. frame,- not shown; for

ly, in the previously described form- The piston" '42 acts within a cylinder 44 m the carryingblock 46 and is reciprocable within the said. cylinder by means of asuitable hydraulic cylinder and piston arrangement shown at the opposite end of carrying block and designated 46 and 41, respec tively. v

The pistons 41. and 42 are directly connected to each other through the medium of a-piston rod 46. Thus, in order tomove the piston 42 with respect to the carryingblock 4II, hydraulic pres;

sure is admitted intothe cylinder 46 which acts against the upper face of piston 41 causing both pistons 4'! and 42 to move downwardly concurrently.

The piston 42 may be retracted within the block by a suitable compression spring 60 which reacts between the lower face of the piston 41 and a suitable partition 62 threaded to the lower end of the cylinder 46. The piston rod 46 extends through this partition .and in order to prevent leakage of fluid from one side of the partition to the other a suitable packing 63 is provided around the rod 48.

The thermoplastic material is initially introduced into a cylindrical loading chamber 65, throughsuitable openings 56 in the sides of the carrying block 46, which are located between the piston 42 and piston". The chamber-56 and cylinder 42 are coaxially disposed and in close' proidmity to each other and are connected together by passages 51 in a partition 68. g After the material has been dropped through the openings 66 into the chamber 66, it is heated to the plastic state, such, for example, as by passlngsteam through ducts 60 providedin the carrying block 40. The resulting molten material is then forced from the chamber 66 through the passages 61 and into the cylinder. 44 by the downward movement of a hydraulically operated plunger 62 which is reciprocable within the chamber 55. The distance between this chamber 65 and cylinder 46being short and direct, there is slight opportunity for the different colors of material to become thoroughly mixed. Thus, by reason of these short direct passages 51, the contrasting colors remain in globules or patches sus- 60 pended within the plastic mass. Consequently, when the carrying block 46 moves downwardly relative to the piston 42, the plastic mass is forced through passages 65 in the piston 42 with little agitation or mixing of the colors and is formed in the mold cavity or aroundtheinsert to effect the desired color appearance.

This plunger 62 is thus moved by the admission of hydraulic pressure in a cooperating cylinder 66 so as to act against the upper face of the'said plunger. The plunger 62 may be returned to its upward position by a coil spring 66 acting between a shoulder 69 on the cylinder 66 and another shoulder III on the plunger 62.

During the injecting operation, the material in j the cylinder 44: isprevcnted from flowing back into the chamber ",by holdingthe plunger 62 s a mw 'The preferred method of holding the plunger 62 .5 stationary is by maintaining the hydraulic presbalance the pressure; on the material'inthe chamber 66 and cylinder 44- which acts against thelower face of the said plunger.

slightly different. The preferred cycle of operation, therefore, is substantially as follows For the purpose of description, the cycle may when the cylinder 44'and chamber 66 are both fil'led with material, at which time the mold section's-I and lclose, as betore,'to form the mold cavities. The nozzle portion 43 ofthe piston 42 then contacts the seat 6, the nozzle being held in i pressure engagement against the seat by the hy- 'draulic pressure acting on the piston -4'I. A Injection of the material takes place as the carryingblo'ck 46 moves bodily toward the mold sections andrelative to the piston '42. During this injection, .the plunger 62, however, remains stationary with respectto the carrying block 46 so thatthe material in the cylinder 44 is expelled therefrom'through passages 66 into the sprue 6,

sates 4, and cavities 3. Thus, the plunger 62 acts in lieu of a check valve to prevent the return of the material into the chamber 66.

At the completion of the, injecting operation, the carrying block moves away from the sections I andl, the action of the spring allowing the nozzleto remain in contact with the seat 6 during this movement. Concurrently with the 40 movement of the carrying block away from the mold, the plunger, may. be moved into the chamber 65 to transfer the'charge therein to the injecting cylinder 44.

This transferring operation is accomplished by 4'5 admitting hydraulic pressure, into the chamber 66, forcing'plunger 62 and the material downwardly. After the charge has thus been transferred, and the pressure in cylinder 66 has been relieved, plunger 62 is moved upwardly by the 0 spring 68 an amount sufficient to allowa new charge to be depositedin the chamber 56.

The nozzle then breaks contact from the seat 6 to allow the mold sections to be opened and thus permit ejection of the finished articles therefrom. During the ejecting operation and the insertion of new inserts, the material in both the chamber 66 and cylinder 44 is absorbing heat from the steam passing through conduits surrounding the said chamber and cylinder.

From the above description, .it will be seen that the presentinvention discloses an eflicient, compact means for transferring a charge of raw thermoplastic material containing various colors from the loading chamber to the cavities withthe 'carryingblock 46 sure in the "cylinder 66 whichv acts against the Y upper face of the "plunger s'ufliciently high to It'will be noted that-in this modification the es'I'I are not provided withicheck valves. like the es 2| in the previously described form and consequently the operating cycle is out causing an intimate mixture of the colors so 7 with granules 'of the same color grouped together in localized zones, heating the loading chamber to at least partially plasticize' the charge, transferring the charge by pressure to an injecting chamber in a direction toward the mold cavity while maintaining portions of the different colors of the material in localized unmixed masses respectively and then injecting the ,composite charge into the mold cavity from the injection chamber. I

2. The method of injection molding of articles of thermoplastic materials to provide well defined color striations on the finished article which comprises'grouping different colored granules of the thermoplastic material in predetermined relation, plasticizing the granules by heat while maintaining the plastic colored masses resulting from the granules generally in'the same relative positions with respect to each other as were the original granules and then simultaneously injecting portions of the difierent plasticized masses into a mold through a single passage leading to the mold.

3. The method of injection molding of articles of thermoplastic materials to provide well defined color striations on the finished article, which comprises grouping granules of the thermoplastic material of diflerent colors in predetermined relation in a charging chamber, plasticizing the granules by heat in said chamber sulting from the granules generally in the same relative positions with respect to each other as were the original granules, then causing the plasticized charge to flow directly from {the charging chamber into an injection chamber at a plurality of separated points to charge the injection chamber while maintaining large portions of colored masses unmixed with other colored masses, then injecting the charge in the injection chamber into a mold cavity in streams of segregated color, which streams finally unite to form a single stream leading tothe cavity.

4. The method of obtaining striated eflects in the injection of thermoplastic material into a mold cavity, comprising placing a charge of thermoplastic material in separate masess into a loading chamber, subjecting the material to a plasticizing temperature, transferring the charge oi material into an injecting chamber separate ejecting the charge from the injecting chamber into a mold cavity, whereby the various colors of the material enter the cavity and are maintained in sharp contrasting color striations throughout the article.

6. A device for injecting molten plastic material under pressure into a cavity oi a mold, said device comprising a carrying'block adapted to be moved toward and away from the mold, walls defining an injection cylinder in said carrying block, an injection piston reciprocable in said injection cylinder, a chamber in the, carrying block and coaxial with and closelyadjacent to the injecting cylinder and provided with a plurality of ports connecting the chamber with the injection cylinder and opening into the cylinder at a plurality of spaced points, and piston means in the chamber constructed and arranged to be moved in and relative to the chamber independently of the injecting piston in a manner to transfer the plastic material therefrom through the said ports to the injection cylinder, said carrying block being constructed and varranged to be moved relative to the injecting piston in a manner to force the material from the injecting-cylinder into the mold cavities.

"I. A device for injecting plastic material into a mold cavity having an introduction passage, comprising a carrying block relatively movable toward and away from the mold, the block having a cylindrical recess, a plunger adapted to reciprocate in the recess, duct means extending a longitudinally of the plunger and communicating while maintaining the plastic colored masses reat one end with the recess, said duct means having a single outlet portion adapted to register with such mold cavity passage, an annular loading chamber in the carrying block in close proximity-to, and surrounding the cylindrical recess, openings in the'side of the carrying block and leading to the loading chamber for separately introducingand arranging diflerent portions 0! a charge of plastic material into the loading chamber, ports connecting the loading chamber with the cylindrical recess, plunger means operable within the loading chamber and constructed and arranged to transfer'the charge therein through the ports into the cylindrical recess, the plunger and cylindrical recess being constructed and arranged to be moved relative to each other after transference of the charge to the cylindrical recess as aforesaid for injecting such charge into the ,mold through said duct 7 means of the plunger.

from the loading chamber and in close proximity thereto and causing the different mass portions oi the charge to enter the injecting chamber at a plurality of spaced points concurrently, and

then forcing the material from the injection chamber into the mold cavity.

5. The method of producing color striations in articles of thermoplastic material comprising placing a charge of thermoplastic material including granules of various colors in a heating chamber and plasticizing the same therein by heat, meanwhile maintaining the material of one color separatefrom that of another, applying pressure to the plasticized material to discharge it at a plurality of distributed points into an injection chamber, whereby the respective masses become disposed in the injectionchamber with'localized color portions generally unmixed direction to inject a charge of plastic material andin diiierent zones of said chamber, and then 8. A device for injecting plastic material into a mold cavity through a passage in said mold comprising a carrying block relatively movable toward and away from such mold, a cylinder member in the carrying block, a piston member reciprocable in the cylinder member, a duct formedin said piston, said. duct having an inlet communicating with the cylinder member and an outlet disposed in alignment with the said passage, a loading chamber in close proximity to the cylinder member, ports connecting the loading chamber with the cylinder member, plunger means operable within the loading chamber, the

piston and the cylinder member being construeted and arranged upon relative movement in one into the cavity, and check valve means for checking the flow of'material from the cylinder member toward the loading chamber when the piston moves relative to the cylinder member to inject the material into the mold.

. 9. Apparatus for injecting plastic material into the loading chamber and entering said injection cylinder in spaced relation to each other, and plunger means re-:-=procable in said loading chamber for transferring a charge of plastic material from the loading chamber to the injection chamber through said spaced ports while maintaining the charge in unmixed condition.

JAMES S. REID. 

